Stoke City head of recruitment leaving after just half-a-season
Stoke City have seen a succession of heads of recruitment come and go since relegation from the Premier League
Lee Darnbrough is leaving Stoke City after just half-a-season as head of recruitment.
Darnbrough joined from Hull last summer to replace Jared Dublin, who ironically then took over the vacancy at Hull. Stoke signed 10 players in that window, including four on loan, and brought in another two in January after losing Tom Cannon back to Leicester to be sold on to Sheffield United.
Ali Al-Hamadi joined on loan from Ipswich Town while left-back Josh Wilson-Esbrand was brought in on loan from Manchester City while Stoke pulled out of a move for Hibs winger Elie Youan and were knocked back by Bristol City after an inquiry about winger Mark Sykes.
The Potters – who have seen Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach depart as head coach this season before the arrival of Mark Robins as manager – have been through a succession of heads of recruitment since relegation in 2018, with Mark Cartwright followed by Phil Chapple and then Alex Aldridge, while Michael O’Neill leant heavily on his right-hand man Andy Cousins. Dublin joined in 2023 but left last spring.
Stoke’s business in the transfer market this season has still been largely restricted by Financial Fair Play constraints in the wake of a big reset gone wrong under Alex Neil. Ricky Martin and Dublin in 2023.
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